The Great Swamp at South Kingston, Rhode Island, was
the site of the last stand of the Narragansett Indians in King Philip's
War against the Colonists. In the bloody engagement which took place
there on Sunday, December 19, 1675, troops from the Confederation of the
United Colonies of New England including Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth,
and Connecticut and Rhode Island took part and because of the numbers
participating, killed and wounded, the battle had been unequalled in New
England up to that time. As a result of the battle, the military
strength and resources of the most powerful Indian tribe in New England
were broken forever.

A fort in the Great Swamp had been built by the
Narragansett Sachem, Canonchet, as a place of refuge. Because of its
location on a small island of dry land in the midst of a great swamp, he
no doubt considered it impregnable. It was, however, only partially
completed and consisted of "pallisadoes stuck upright in a hedge of
about a rod in thickness." Two fallen trees formed natural bridges which
were the only entrances and the principal one was guarded by a block
house. Inside the fort the stores, harvests and accumulated wealth of
the Narragansetts had been brought and there asylum had been offered the
aged and infirm and the women and children of the Wampanoags of King
Philip.

The United Colonies of New England declared war
against the Narragansett Indians on November 2, 1675, charging them,
among other things, with "relieving and succouring Wampanoag women and
children and wounded men" and not delivering them to the English, and
also because they "did in a very reproachful and blasphemous manner,
triumph and rejoice" over the English defeat at Hadley. They voted to
raise a thousand soldiers to be sent against the Narragansetts unless
their sachems gave up the fugitive Wampanoags.

The forces of the United Colonies under Governor
Winslow marched across Rhode Island and on December 14 attacked the
village of the Squaw Sachem Matantuck near Wickford and burned 150
wigwams, killing seven Indians and taking nine prisoners. The
Narragansetts then began a guerrilla warfare, sniping Colonial troops
wherever occasion offered.

On the night of December 15 the Indians surrounded
Jireh Bull's large stone house on Tower Hill and massacred all but two
of the occupants. The smoldering ruins of the house were found by
English scouts the next day. It is possible that the Indians had learned
of a plan for the Connecticut contingent to join the other forces at
this house and had destroyed it in order to handicap the colonies. Three
days later the two English forces joined at Pettaquamscutt and planned
to attack the Indians the next day.

Ordinarily the swamp was practically impenetrable, as
it is to this day, but due to the severe December weather the marshy
ground had frozen and the English soldiers gained easy access to the
island. The Indian outposts retreated into the fort where they were
followed by the English. The terrible battle which then began took place
amidst ice, snow, under brush and fallen trees.

At first repulsed, the English continued the assault,
though with heavy losses. They contested almost every foot of ground
until the Narragansetts, also suffering many casualties, were driven
gradually from their fort into the swamp and woods.

Meanwhile, the English had set fire to the wigwams,
some 600 in number, and flames swept through the crowded fort. The
"shrieks and cries of the women and children, the yelling of the
warriors, exhibited a most horrible and appalling scene, so that it
greatly moved some of the soldiers. They were in much doubt and they
afterwards seriously inquired whether burning their enemies alive could
be consistent with humanity and the benevolent principle of the gospel,"
says one early account.

The retreating Indians were driven from the woods
about the fort, leaving the English a complete, though costly, victory.
They had lost five captains and 20 men and had some 150 wounded that
must be carried back to a house some ten miles distant. To the terrors
of the battle and fire were added the bitter cold and blinding snow of a
New England blizzard through which the English toiled back to
Cocumcussa. The hardships of that march took a toll of 30 or 40 more
lives. The Indians reported a loss of 40 fighting men and one sachem
killed and some 300 old men, women and children burned alive in the
wigwams.

In 1906 a rough granite shaft about 20 feet high was
erected by the Rhode Island Society of Colonial Wars to commemorate this
battle. Around the mound on which the shaft stands are four roughly
squared granite markers engraved with the names of the colonies which
took part in the encounter and two tablets on opposite sides of the
shaft give additional data.

Until this year, entrance to the Great Swamp Fight
Site was possible only over private land and an admission fee was
collected by the farmer who maintained the road. The site was overgrown
and some of the markers were almost obscured.

The National Park Service CCC Camp on the nearby
Burlingame State Reservation has constructed about a half-mile of road
to a parking area on the only other island of dry land besides the
battle site. A wide path leads from there through the dense swamp to the
monument and this area is to be cleared of undesirable undergrowth and a
few seats will be provided at the outer edge of the island. Vistas are
to be cut into the swamp to give the visitor an idea of the conditions
under which the battle was fought. No attempt will be made to restore
any traces of the defenses which, after more than two and one-half
centuries, finally become accessible as a public historical site.